Phase measuring system employing frequency modulation



P 1947- I s. A..SCHERBATSKOY 1 v 2 PHASE MEASURING SYSTEM EMPLOYING FREQUENCY MODULATION Filed 001:. 50, 1945 VARIABLE ELECTRONIC ,4 E

IMPEDANCE NON LINEAR NETWORK XAIMPLIFIER /FILTER I l VARIABhEE%KENCCTERONIC 23 I I I i 4 -57 58 59 ao/ 5/ FREQUENCY.

56' NETWORK FIG.

' VARIABLE ELECTRONIC IMPEDANCE FREQUENCY 74 NETWORK FILTER 20 Q..- 1 I 9. 7 95 96 .9 NON LINEAR NETWORK VARIABLE ELECTRONIC IMPEDANCE I F/G. 3

"OUTPUT TERMINALS 702"*""1 l I02 l I \j: l I 0I; I //.'HIIP INPUT TERMINALS 04 J INVENTOR Patented Sept. 30, 1947 PHASE MEASURING SYSTEM. EMPLOYING FREQUENCY MODULATION Serge Alexander Scherbatskoy, Tulsa, Okla.

Application OctoberBO, 1943, Serial No. 508,358

My invention relates to a method and means for indicating the relative phase displacement of two alternating voltages of the same frequency, which is equivalent to a determination of the time interval between the occurrence of the two voltages. My invention relates also to the application of the above method and means in various problems involving phase measurements.

. It is well known that in many applications it is desirable or necessary to determine the relative phase of two voltages. A great many procedures have been devised to accomplish this purpose, However, I am not aware of any means which accomplishes this end in as precise manner as that which is proposed by my invention.

A broad object of my invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive system for indicating with an extreme accuracy and precision very slight phase differences of two varying voltage or currents.

Another object is to simplify and reduce the expense of phase measuring systems.

Other specific objects and features of the invention will become apparent from the-detailed description to follow, The system of the present invention difiers fundamentally from all previous phase measuring systems. In the present method I am converting the two voltages to be compared into two frequency modulated high frequency currents and am measuring the phase difference betweenthe two voltages by determining the frequency difference between the two high frequency currents. I am therefore translating the phase difference which I wish to measure into a frequency diilerence and am utilizing a frequency measuring system in order to measure the phase. The art of measuring frequencies has already attained a very highly developed stage, and the present in;- vention allows me to utilize all the achievements of the frequency measuring technique for precise and accurate determinations of the phase differences.

The manner in which I determine these phase difierences, and in which I solve various problems involving the technique of precise phase difference measurements will now be explained with reference to the drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a schematic circuit diagram of a phase measuring system in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 shows curves explaining the operation of my phase measuring system.

Fig. 3 ShOWs another embodiment of m phase measuring system.

4 Claims. (Cl. 172245) I Fig. 4 shows an electronic impedance which is a 'partof the circuit diagram of Fig. 1 and Fig. 3.

Consider two voltages which are designated respectively as e1=E sin wot and e2=E sin (wut) Both voltages have the same amplitude E and frequencywo but are displaced in phase by an amount Let the'phase difference between e1 and (32 be the unknown'quantity that it is desired to determine. The voltages c1 and as are representedin Fig. l as the output voltages of two generators designated by the numerals 2!) and 2 I. A i

The systemshownin Fig. l comprisestwo identi'calhigh frequency oscillators 22 and 23. The oscillator 22 comprises an ordinary three electrode tube 24 containing plate 25 grid 26 and filament 21, The plate circuit of the triode is coupled with the grid circuitby the inductance 28'.which inductance forms part of the tuned circuit 29"of the oscillator 22. Thetuned circuit of the oscillator also includes a fixed condenser 30 in parallelwith the inductance 28 and a circuit consisting of another fixed condenser 3| in series with'san'electronic impedance 32. The electronic impedance isschematically designated by a block and is described more fully in connection with Fig: 4. The electronic impedance is provided with input terminals 33 and output terminals 34; and is designed in-such a manner that the value of'ithe impedance between the terminals '34 is determined by the controlling. voltage applied across the input terminals 33. The controlling voltage applied across the terminals 33 is the voltage e1=,E sin wot.--Therefore, the impedance 32 varies with the frequency we in synchronism wither and consequently the natural frequency of the tuned circuit varie with the frequency wo insynchronism with e1.

The oscillator 23 is identical in its structure to the oscillator 22 and the corresponding elements in the circuits of the oscillators 22 and 23 have identical values. Thus the oscillator 23 comprises ance 48, The electronic impedance is schematically designated by a block and is described more fully in connection with Fig. 4. The electronic impedance is provided with output terminals 54 connected to the tuned circuit 49 and input terminals 53 connected to the generator 2!, the said generator providing the controlling voltage e2=E sin (wot). Therefore the natural frequency of the tuned circuit 49 varies with the frequency mo in synchronism with e2. Consequently the frequency variation with respect to time of the tuned circuit 49 of the oscillator 23 is displaced with respect to the frequency variation of the tuned circuit 29 of the oscillator 22 by a time interval t=/wo. In the present case the frequency of the oscillators 22 and 23 maybe for instance 30 megacycles and they maybe so adjusted as to vary over a range of about 10 percent of the normal value.

The output of the oscillators 22 and 23 are respectively transmitted by means of transformers 55 and 56 respectively to the input terminals of a non-linear network 51. The non-linear network 51 is of a square law type, i. e., it has a curvature of such value thatcthe terms higher than the second degree may be neglected. "The network 51 will produce across its output terminals frequencies which fall in the four following groups: (A) Identical to the impressed frequencies. (B) Frequencies that are twice the instantaneous frequencies generated by the .oscillators 22 and 23. (C) Frequencies which are equal to the sum of the instantaneous frequency derived from the oscillator 22 and the instantaneous frequency derived from the oscillator 2.3;

(D) Frequencies which are equal to the di-fierenc'e between the instantaneous frequency of the oscillator 22 and the instantaneous frequency of the oscillator 23.

The above signals are derived from the output of the non-linear network '51, then amplified in the amplifier 58 and subsequently transmitted to the filter 59. The filter 59 .is of a low pass type and its cut off frequency :is so determined as to attenuate the signals A, 3B and :0. Consequently, I

only the signal D representing'the difference between ;the frequencies of "the oscillators 2'2 and 23 is being transmitted to the. frequency metering circuit 60.

The frequency metering circuit 60 is of a type well known in the artwhich produces in the output terminals a current the magnitude of which is proportional to the frequency of the signal applied across its input terminals. Consequently; the current produced in the output terminals of Gil is equal in magnitude to the frequency difference between the oscillators 22 and 23. The frequency metering circuit is in turn connected to the indicator 6| which gives the value of the out put current of 60.

The fundamental principles of the system may be under stood by reference to the explanatory diagram of Fig. '2 connection with Fig. 1. In this diagram, instantaneous frequencies in cycles per second are plotted as'ord-inates against time in seconds as abscissa. The iine '62 shows the variation of the frequency of the-oscillator 22 and the line 63 the variation of the frequency of the oscillator 23. "Hie ordinates show the frequencies generated by 22 and :23 for any particular instant oftime; i

It has been shown in the preceding paragraphs that the instantaneous frequency generated by the oscillator 2-2rdepends upon the instantaneous value of the electronic impedance 32inserted in its tuned circuit 29. The electronic impedance 32 is being controlled by the voltage e1=E sin mot and varies in synchronism with this voltage. Consequently the frequency of the oscillator varies periodically between two extremes Fmax and Fmln with the rate of Fm times per second where Therefore the instantaneous frequency of the signal generated by 22 varies with time as shown by thesaw-toothed shaped line 62,

'In the similar manner the instantaneous value of the voltage e2=E sin (wot) determines the instantaneous value of the electronic impedance 52 and consequently the instantaneous value of the output frequency of the oscillator 23. Therefore, the frequency of the oscillator 23 is modulated by the amplitude of the voltage 62. The output -of the oscillator 23 is represented diagrammaticallyby the saw-toothed shaped line 62.

By examining the circuit diagrams of the oscillators 22 and 23 it becomes apparent that the conditions to which these two oscillators are subjected are identical with the difference that the controlling voltage e2 has a phase shift with respect to or of electrical degrees and therefore various occurrences in both circuits are same, but they are shifted with respect to time by an amount of gb/wo seconds. Therefore, the line 63 is displaced to the right by a time interval equal t0-/wo with respect to the line 62. It is apparcut that the segment AB representing the time delay between 62 and -63 is proportional to the phase difference which is to be measured.

By inspecting Fig. 2 it can be readily seen that the segment CD representing the instantaneous frequency difference I between the signals 62 and 63 is proportional to the segment AB representing the phase diiference between the signals. Accordingly in my invention I am measuring the phase difference between the signals 62 and 63 by determining the frequency difference between the signals 62 and 63.

My invention consists therefore essentially in translating phase differences into frequency differences, and considering the frequency difference as-an index of the phase difference.

As illustrated in Fig. l, the output of the oscillators Y22 and 23 is applied to the non-linear network 51 wherein the signals A, B, C and D referred to in the preceding. paragraphs are between produced. Of these four signals the signals A, B and C are being completely attenuated in the lowpass filter '59 and only the signal D appears across the output terminals of the filter 53. This signal is being subsequently applied to the frequency metering network 66 and therefore in the output terminals of the network 60 there appears a current the magnitude of which represents the frequency difference between the signals 62 and 63. This voltage is indicated on the meter 6|.

Consider new again the signals 62 and 63 of Fig. 2 representing the frequency modulated outputs of the oscillators 22 and 23.

The time delay t=4?/wo shown in the diagram has been greatly exaggerated in comparison with the time interval of the modulating frequency in order to make the description clear.

The signal D has been diagrammatically represented by means of the line 64 in Fig. 2. This signal has a predominant frequency ,f representin the frequency difference between the waves 62 and 63 over the larger portion of each half w'illbe small if t= I issmall compared to -l 2F...

The number of cycles of frequency modulation Fm is so chosen that t=/wo is always very small compared to A; Fm. Under these circumstances the average difference ,fav is directly proportional to the phase and may be found in terms of the symbols defined above from the following equatlo-n:

Formula 2 shows the proportionality between the phase angle and the frequency difference few indicated by the meter 6|. The constant of proportionality K should be taken into consideration" when translating the readingof the meter 6i into reading of the phase difference. 7

It is therefore apparent that I have provided a system and. a method for measuring with a very great precision the phase differences between two electrical signals.

While the curves show the transmitter frequency varying linearly with time, this is not essential to the operation of the system.

Referring now more particularly to Fig. 3 there is shown a modified arrangement in which'in place of two oscillators 22- and 23 a single oscillater 73 is used. The oscillator comprises an ordinary triode tube 14 containing plate T5,;gr-id l6, and filament TI. The plate circuit of the triode is coupled with the grid circuit by means of the inductance 18. The oscillator is provided with two tuned circuits designated respectively by the numerals l9 and 89. The tuned circuit #9 comprises three elements in parallel. the said ele ments consisting of an inductance 8|, a capacitance 82, and a capacitance 8;; in series with an electronic impedance designated by the block 84 and described more fully in connection with Fig. 4. The electronic impedance is provided with input terminals 85 and output terminals 86 and is designed in such a manner that the value of the impedance between the terminals 86 is deter mined by the controlling voltage applied across the input terminals 85. The controlling voltage applied across the terminals 85 is the voltage e1=E sin wot. Therefore, the impedance 84 varies with the frequency we in synchronism with (21 and consequently the natural frequency of the tuned circuit 19 varies with the frequency we in synchronism with 61. I

The tuned circuit 80 comprises three elements in parallel, the said elements consisting of an inductance 81 corresponding to 8|, capacitance 88 corresponding to 82 and capacitance 89 in series with an electronic impedance designated by the block 90 and described more fully in connection with Fig. 4. The electronic impedance is provided with output terminals 9| connected to the tuned circuit 80 and input impedance 92 cone nected 'to the gneratorill the .isaid z-generatoi providing the controlling-voltage' 5' 1:

" 'e z==E Sin (wotrrb), I

Thereforethe natural frequency of the tuned circuit:;.:8fl. varies with the frequency;:- no: fii'nl synchronism withq-"ezj Consequently; the, freg. quency: variation with respectto. time 'oizthez tuned:circuit :19 is displaced wit-h'respect-to the frequency variation of the tunedcirculttfi :by a'time interval i qb/wo. y '1- 3f; ".Themutput' of the oscillatorlt is transmitted; by means of 'the transformer 93 to the input ter; minals, of .a non-linear network 9 'Iheoutput of the non-linear network isconnected to a filter. 95 which in turn is connected through a; frequency metering network- 96' to an indicator S1; 5 1; It is apparentthat-the natural frequency of thetunedcircuit 19 is at any instant determin dby the. controlling voltageei applied to the electronic impedance t6 and the natural frequency, of'theatuned circuit Bil is at any instance determinedbythe controlling-voltage 92 applied to-the electronic impedancetfi. Since the voltagester and e2 are respectively; out of phaseby an angle the variation of frequencyversus time of thetuned circuits l9 and 8t may be diagrammatically represented by means of lines 62 and 53 iii-Fig.2,

It is apparentthat the oscillator 1-3 will-gencrate two frequencies one of which is determined by the tuned circuit 19 and the other bythe tuned circuit 80. Therefore two signals" are being gene. erated in the oscillator 73 and. these signals. are represented by means oflines 62 and 63 respectively-in-- Fig. 2. These two signals are,v being transmittedby means ofptransformer 93 to the none-linear networked. The non-linear network 94 is of the square law type-and is similar'to the network 51 described in connection with;Fig,,l. The signals represented by the lines62 and 163 produce in the non-linear network 94 signals that have been described above and have been identie fied as A, B; C,D. These signals are beingtransr. mitted to the filter 95 which is identical to athel filter 59 described in Fig. 1. The fi1ter59 attenuates:co-mp1etely the signals A, B CXand passes, only the signal D whichis further transmitted to afrequency metering network 95 similartothe one designatedinrFig. .1 as til. In the'output of the frequencypmeter network appear therefore-acurrent-the magnitude of which-represents the frequency difference between the instantaneous frequencies of the tuned circuits l9 and 89. This current is being indicated on the meter 91. It is apparent that the current indicated on the meter 9'! depends upon the phase difference between the voltages e1 and ex and can be used to indicate the phase difference. It is also apparent that the instrument described in connection with Fig. 3 operates in an entirely analogous manner to the instrument indicated in Fig. 1 and provides an indication of the phase difference between the input voltages e1 and e2.

Figure 4 represents schematically the variable electronic impedance that has been designated by blocks 32 and 52 of Fig. 1 or by the blocks 84 7 One of the input terminals of the electronic impedance is connected to the grids of the tubes I00, I BI and the other input terminal is connected to the positive terminal of the battery I01, the said battery having its negative terminal connected to the filaments of the tubes I and One of the output terminals of the electronic impedance is connected to the plate of the tube I00 and the other output terminal is connected to the plate of the tube liil.

It is apparent that the Controlling voltage applied across the input terminals of the electronic impedance in series with the voltage of the battery I01 constitutes the grid bias of the tubes Hi0 and H. Consequently the plate resistance of the tubes I00 and I0! depends upon the controlling voltage and by varying sinusoidally the controlling voltage, the plate resistance varies sinusoidally. Therefore the impedance of the circuit contained between the output terminals of the electronic impedance varies with the plate resistance of the tubes I90, [BI and in synchronism with the variation of the said plate resistance.

Consequently, the controlling voltage applied across the input terminals of the electronic impedance determines the value of the electronic impedance and by varying sinusoidally the controlling voltage the electronic impedance between the output terminal varied sinusoidally.

It is therefore apparent that I have provided a means and a method for a precise measurement of phase diiferences.

I claim:

1. In a method of comparing phases of two alternating electrical signals, the step of translating each of the alternating signals'into another signal of a frequency varying in synchronism with the said alternating signal, the said varying frequency being large as compared with the frequency of the saidalternating signal, and the step of determining the frequency difference of the two variable frequency signals as an index of the phase conditions of the said two altemating signals.

2. In a method of comparing phases of two alternating electrical signals, the step of producing two electrical oscillations, each of the said oscillations having an average frequency high as compared to the frequency of the said electrical signals, the step of modulating said two oscillations by means of the said two signal so as to vary the frequency of each of the saidoscillations in synchronism with the variation of the amplitude of the corresponding electrical signals, and the step of determining the frequency differences between the said oscillations as .an index to the phase difference between the said signals.

3. In a method of producing a resultant signal representing phase relationship between two alternating electrical signals, the step of translating each of the alternating signal into another signal of a frequency varying in synchronism with the said alternating signal, the said varying frequency being large as compared with the frequency of the said alternating signal, and the step of combining said tWo' variable frequency signals into a resultant signal, said resultant signal representing said phase relationship.

4. In a method of producing a resultant signal representing phase relationship between two alternating electrical signals, the step of producing two electrical oscillations, each of the said oscillations having an average frequency high as compared to the frequency of the said electrical signals, the step of modulating said two oscillations by means of the said two signals so as to vary the frequency of each of the said oscillations in synchronism with the variation of the amplitude of the corresponding electrical signals, andthe step of intermodulating said two oscillations thereby obtaining a modulation product representing said resultant signal.

SERGE ALEXANDER SCHERBATSKOY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENT 314,494 Great Britain Sept. 19, 1930 

